Written by Yu-Han Huang. Reflecting on formative undergraduate experiences, the author traces how studying Japanese colonial Taiwan and reading Leo Ching’s Becoming “Japanese” shaped his academic path. Ching’s analysis of colonial identity formation, despite criticisms, offered a framework to understand Taiwan’s complex identity and revealed how colonial legacies continue to influence Taiwanese self-consciousness.
Written by Catherine Tsai. This article examines Chou Wan-yao’s study of kōminka policies in colonial Taiwan. The author argues that Chou’s work on the relationships between assimilation, identity formation, and wartime mobilisation has served as foundational to Taiwan-centred historiography in both Sinophone and Anglophone contexts.
Written by Ming-Yeh T. Rawnsley. The article compares Simon Long’s 1991 book, Taiwan: China’s Last Frontier and Chris Horton’s recent publication, Ghost Nation: The Story of Taiwan and Its Struggle for Survival (2025). The author traces Taiwan’s transformation from an authoritarian frontier within a China-centric framework to a democratic, identity-driven political subject central to global geopolitics, yet still diplomatically constrained. By examining the two frameworks, the author reveals both profound change and enduring discourse on Taiwan’s self-determination and the limits of international recognition.
Written by Yingtai Lung. The article proposes that, in contrast to the preparation for war, Taiwan should prioritise resilience, communication, and goodwill diplomacy to prevent escalation, sustain trust, and protect society from panic, thereby making peace an active, practiced strategy.
Written by Hazem Almassry. Visiting Kinmen, a Taiwanese frontline-turned-tourist site, the author reflects on living under continuous threat, comparing it to Gaza. Both challenge conventional ideas of peace as post-conflict stability, revealing instead how people adapt to enduring militarisation and structural violence, in which “peace” often means managing rather than resolving ongoing conditions.
Written by Emma Baumhofer. This article argues that “good friction” supports trust, deliberation, and coexistence. Drawing on Taiwan’s civic tech and public life, it proposes designing systems that balance efficiency with social cohesion and the demands of positive peace.
